


the hidden places beyond the stars

by sadngay



Series: Flame in the Night [1]
Category: A Court of Thorns and Roses Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Cannon Compliant Ish, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Pre-Canon, Slow Burn, him and elain don’t rly talk but they’re ok w each other i just ignore her here lol whoops, if there’s a plot hole no there isn’t ignore it please and thank you, lucian and vassa are just pals, lucien is my fav and he deserves the world, not in terms of chapters just the amount of years it takes them to get together, with the addition of my oc and some random changes i cant be bothered to fix
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-17 22:14:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,666
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29973075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sadngay/pseuds/sadngay
Summary: Calista Meridian, emissary of the Night Court is sent on a month long assignment in the Summer Court where she first meets Lucien- somehow it takes them decades to see what’s right in front of them.——Heyyy it’s me again starting a new fic without finishing my other ones ;). I’m re reading ACoTaR right now and my heart chose Lucien to obsess over so here y’all go <3
Relationships: Lucien Vanserra/Original Character(s), Lucien Vanserra/Reader
Series: Flame in the Night [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2204610
Kudos: 6





	1. Their Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Chapter 1 starts before canon around the time Lucien was appointed as Spring Court emissary. Enjoy :)

The streets of Adriata were busy, bustling with people on their way home from markets and jobs when Calista winnowed in. She could smell the sea behind her and the spices of the stalls she stood next to as she felt the heat of the summer sun on the skin her pale blue shimmering gown left exposed. Which was a lot as the drapery of gossamer layers left her arms, back and chest open. It felt nice. 

Rhysand had sent her here for the next month to oversee the Night Court’s end of the plans with Summer and Spring. A new trade route was to be built between the three as the latter two courts lay on the other end of the continent from her home. 

She chose to arrive alone and far from the palace so she could see the city for herself. Exactly the way the people living their lives there see it. Not through the eyes of a court emissary in a palace but to see it’s day to day hustle. 

It was worth it this time as the city proved to be as gorgeous as it was described with just as many markets, fine items and glittering sea channels as promised. 

Concluding her walk led her to the palace where she was to be staying and just in time for the first meeting between the representatives of each court. Since it was Tarquin’s home he would be joining them for Summer and yet she hadn’t heard much of the male from Spring. 

Azriel had told her his name was Lucien Vanserra and filled her in on the basic details and history about him. But he was new as an emissary, by Fae standards at least, and she had yet to work with him directly. 

“Ah there you are!” Tarquin grinned at her as he rounded the corner of the hall. “I had thought you weren’t coming” He teased. 

“Oh please Tarquin you know I wouldn’t ditch you” She laughed back responding to the playful flirting that the High Lord seemed to gravitate to in their conversations. “I wanted to see the city for myself before I came” She shrugged as they began walking to the room they were meeting in. Her bags had been winnowed in before her and she figured she’d find them at some point when she was shown her rooms. 

Exchanging pleasantries, they reached the room and approached the round carved table in the center. A red haired male who she assumed to be the Lucien that she was to meet was already seated. She was pleasantly surprised to see he was quite attractive, a fact that Az had failed to mention. 

He stood as they came closer and nodded to Tarquin before he spoke “Lucien Vanserra, at your service lady” He smirked at her as he held out his hand. She took it softly and shook as she replied “Calista Meridian, nice to know you are- I wonder what I’ll do with you” Her grin was almost predatory but her eyes were light with laughter as she dropped his hand and sat in her chair. 

He seemed pleased at the teasing response, she noted, maybe she’ll have fun here after all. 

They didn’t get all that much done on the first day. Their plans for it had been pushed to wait till tomorrow as Tarquin and Calista reconnected from the last time he’d come to the Night Court and both of them got to know Lucien a bit. He wasn’t as open and free as the two hellions who had broken out a bottle of liquor almost as soon as they decided productivity was not in the cards for the three of them. Still he loosened up from the alcohol and more of that sass and sarcasm came out as they laughed and talked. By the time she found her rooms it was a few hours to sunrise as they had stayed there long into the night and Calista didn’t even bother to remove her dress or turn on a light to look around her room as she fell into the bed and passed out, the bottles their group had drank hitting her. 

The next day proved to be just as productive as the first when the earliest any of them rose was noon when Lucien, being the least drunk last night, had rose. Not a word from Tarquin or Calista until two hours later when they came out to the dining room wincing at the sunlight. Fae didn’t get quite as hungover as humans but with enough liquor the next day was rough. 

Lunch was a quiet affair as they slowly woke up with the help of food and caffeine. They finally got started in the afternoon and approved the start of the project. Three times a week they would convene officially to review progress and sign off on new things. The other days they had free to do as they will with the exception of a few trips to see the construction in person. 

The first week passed quickly as the beginning would be easy and ran smoothly so meeting were short and the trip lasted half a day as the on-site managing male had reported that they were right on schedule. 

While Tarquin was largely busy with other High Lord duties, this left Calista and Lucien with plenty of time to kill and no one else to spend it with but each other. It being their first times in Adriata they decided to explore it together at the end of the first week. 

With nothing else to do each day she had sought him out almost immediately on the third day and most days after to bother him until he did something fun with her. 

Their conversations in those few days largely went like this, “Lucien. Lucien. Luciennn” She’d say as she poked him in the ribs. “What” He’d say as he pretended to pay attention to whatever paperwork Calista was distracting him from. He’d try to hide his smile for a time until he gave in and let her drag him out of his rooms and around the palace looking for interesting things and hidden alcoves to sit in and talk as they passed a bottle of Faerie wine that they’d swiped from the kitchen back and forth. 

Then she had the bright idea to expand their searches to the whole city. And so they set out every day they were free to walk around the streets of Adriata and find the best places to sit under tapestries in cafes, leaves in secret groves or the sun or swim in the glimmering waters of the beaches surrounding them. 

A fast friendship was formed between them in the month they stayed there and every time after that they met on court trips they explored whatever court they were in. For years they were best friends sending letters when they were at home and resolutely ignoring their true feelings. 

Ah, speaking of those. The initial playful flirtation had become a constant and yet neither had ever taken it further. For whatever reason he never made a move and Calista accepted it. He was too dear a friend for her to risk loosing and she had eternity to see if he would or move on. (not that she was sure how she could move on but she decided to cross that bridge if she came to it) 

And then Amarantha had come. Calista distrusted her from the start and warned Lucien not to either. The night she took control was the last time she heard from him. Sealed in Velaris with the rest of the Inner Circle and the residents she couldn’t send a letter or go see him and it almost broke her, almost a year later she managed to pull it together and worked tirelessly with her friends on any possible way they could beat her. 

Though their attempts were fruitless for years, right as they’d lost hope after almost 5 decades, Feyre showed up. She didn’t meet her until after Amarantha’s defeat but they were fast friends when Feyre had come to Velaris. 

Then she was gone too. In the Spring Court with Tamlin and Lucien. It hurt but Calista believed in her High Lady, her friend. So she wasn’t surprised when she came back but who she brought with her however, was a surprise.


	2. Their Reunion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mwah here have an update <3\. hope u enjoy!

Feyre’s laugh ringing in her ears, Calista pulled away from their hug to look past her to the doorway where he stood staring at her in disbelief. 

“Lucien-“ She breathed cutting herself off as she moved toward him wrapping him in a tight hug. 

His strong arms wrapped around her, pressing her into his lean body. Feeling his warmth around her had her burying her face into his neck and clinging on. 

When they pulled apart she got her first look at him in 50 years. He looked older though no time had passed in terms of Fae aging and more restrained, as if he had been holding himself back this whole time. The most obvious difference was the huge scar running across his face- Calista had no idea where it came from given she’s been in Velaris so long but she moved past it for the moment after brushing her finger lightly over the bottom edge of it on his cheek. It made no difference to her feelings that he was missing his eye and though she wanted the story she was currently pre occupied with dragging him off into her room almost immediately, rambling about five decades worth of gossip. 

After some time their conversation shifted as they acknowledged the separation, “ I thought you were dead Calista, not a word of news not a letter answered for decades. When Feyre said your name I didn’t believe her at first, that it could possibly be true.”

*flashback*

It was cold and they were trudging through the snow, Feyre talking quickly about people he’d be meeting in the Night Court to fill the silence when he stopped and grabbed her arm. “Wait- stop say that again.”

“Say what?” “What you just said, the name.” “ Oh Calista? She’s our emissary and one of my friends she helped me a lot when I came there. I think you’ll like her, she might help you loosen up a little too.” She joked but stopped when she saw his shellshocked expression. “What’s wrong Lucien?”

“I- Her last name. What’s Calista’s last name.” He spit out after struggling for a few seconds. Hope, burning and painful hope sprung in his chest and he dared to think that his best friend, the love of his life, was alive. How agonizing would it be to have that crushed? He wondered. 

“Meridian? Yeah Meridian. Do you know her or something?” She asked curiously 

The pain was gone. All of it, replaced with the kind of happiness he hasn’t felt in years, since the first day he’d thought she was gone. She’s alive. 

*flashback over*

“I’m so sorry Lucien if I could’ve told you about Velaris I would’ve but well, Feyre explained the history of this place didn’t she?” At his nod she continued, “I used to pick up your letters from the address I gave you but I couldn’t leave Velaris anymore and I didn’t know if you were alive either. I asked Azriel every day I saw him if he had news about you and though his spies rarely did, every day that he didn’t tell me you were dead was hope enough to keep going.” 

Shaking his head as he stroked her palm with his thumb he replied, “It’s alright Cal I understand what you had to do, I am just glad to be with you now. I missed you so much.” 

It would’ve been perfect, that moment, it would’ve been a perfect time to lean forward and press her lips to his the way she wished every day that she had before she lost him and yet she couldn’t do it then either. Thoughts of his mate, the sweet gardener who she had somewhat befriended ran through her mind and she pushed away the ones that screamed at her to just do it already to focus on the fact that he likely loved her and thought of Calista as nothing more than his closest friend. 

Fine. that’s fine, The gods had allowed her to have him back and whatever way Lucien could be in her life would be enough. 

Little did she know that on Lucien’s end her own thoughts were reflected back. 

He wished he were braver, that he could tell her what he’s felt since the day they met yet he could not. Right before Amaranthas arrival to the continent he had been working up the nerve to finally confess to Calista and right as he decided to do it the bitch queen had taken over and Calista had disappeared. 

However ready he was back then, five decades and a disfigurement later Lucien was back to square one of belief that she could have no possible interest in him. After all, at least to him, any chance he had before had gone away now that he was maimed. 

So one again neither made a move- both wishing the same of the other. They worked with the Inner Circle and in their spare time, caught up and re kindled their tradition of exploration. This time though Calista already knew the best places in the city and it became her showing Lucien the places she found while locked in there. 

One of those such days they sat in the artists district in an abandoned veranda with stained glass windows overlooking the river. The sunlight streamed in through the colored glass threw rays and specks of rainbow lights on them. A bottle of Faerie wine sat between them half full as they leaned against the wall shoulder to shoulder. 

During a lull in their conversation where Calista paused to refill her glass Lucien suddenly pulled away and turned to face her, his knee pressed against her thigh. “I have to tell you something.”

She looked up at him with a flash of curiosity, that easy smile she had on her face making her glow. 

His heart squeezed when it dropped as he spoke. “I’m leaving to the continent. I have to find Vassa and free her from her curse to aid us in the war.” Short and blunt. It was all he could force out now even after trying so hard to find the perfect time and way to say it. 

“Now? You’re leaving?” She muttered before her hands flew to her face wiping at hey eyes. She shook her head and jerked it up to look at him. “Why do you have to go? Not someone else?” 

“They all have a role here, somewhere they’re needed. I can go without them loosing an important person.”

She pulled his hands into hers, “Oh Lucien you’re important to me. I’ll always need you. But I understand, no matter how much I hate loosing you so soon again I know you have to. Can’t I come with you though? I’m sure they can spare another emissary.” 

“You aren’t loosing me Calista i’ll see you again no matter what happens. And I don’t know. I won’t tell you not to come even though I want to say it’s too dangerous but I remember what happened the last time I tried that all too well.” He threw in a half smile at the end when she giggled a bit at the memory. 

Resolving to deal with whatever came next together they went to Rhysand at the next meeting and asked if Calista could be spared to go with Lucien and he decided that with Nesta helping with Emissary duties she was free to do as she chose. 

So together they set off to the continent looking for the queen.


End file.
